Help NASA Track 'Dangerous' Asteroids

Nasa has called on amateur astronomers and other citizen-scientists to help identify the smaller and potentially destructive asteroids lurking in the cosmos, which could wipe out a city upon impact with Earth.

WASHINGTON: Here's your chance to save the planet! Nasa has called on amateur astronomers and other citizen-scientists to help identify the smaller and potentially destructive asteroids lurking in the cosmos, which could wipe out a city upon impact with Earth.

Scientists estimate that about 90% of asteroids that are 1km or larger which pose potential planet-wide danger have been surveyed.

However, more than 99% of asteroids that are 30 to 40 metres in size - which might not destroy the planet, but could very easily wipe out a city - have yet to be found and tracked, the 'National Geographic' said.

Nasa has asked for the public's help to find these dangerous asteroids and figure out what can be done to stop any threats they pose.

The announcement coincides with the agency's plans for a new mission to capture an asteroid, redirect it to lunar orbit, and then send humans to study it, said Brian Muirhead, Nasa's chief engineer and the leader of the Asteroid Redirect Mission study team.